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Sex and Character (book): Difference between revisions
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In chapter 2, Otto speaks of how sexual characteristics are present throughout the whole body, through every inch of tissue, every cell. That gender variation determines brain size and many other physical states. He argued that every inch of a person provides a gender stimulus to another human. And that every inch of a person must be considered to determine where someone fits between male and female. Otto speaks of cells being able to show how someone fits between male and female. He wrote his book in a time when chromosomes were simply a brash theory.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12105830/nettie-stevens-genetics-gender-sex-chromosomes</ref>, and DNA had not yet been discovered. His theory anticipated the discovery of the androgen and estrogen receptors in human cells. Weininger was arguing that anatomy, from the core, had a large part in determining gender. That [[soyboy|soyboys]] should (usually) have smooth skin, and that tomboys should (usually) have more rough skin. He argues this theory on the basis of the fact that typically masculine men can often exhibit certain feminine traits (such as wider hips etc.) and vice versa for feminine women. Any anatomical deviations from overall gender were therefore caused by variations in individual cells. | In chapter 2, Otto speaks of how sexual characteristics are present throughout the whole body, through every inch of tissue, every cell. That gender variation determines brain size and many other physical states. He argued that every inch of a person provides a gender stimulus to another human. And that every inch of a person must be considered to determine where someone fits between male and female. Otto speaks of cells being able to show how someone fits between male and female. He wrote his book in a time when chromosomes were simply a brash theory.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12105830/nettie-stevens-genetics-gender-sex-chromosomes</ref>, and DNA had not yet been discovered. His theory anticipated the discovery of the androgen and estrogen receptors in human cells. Weininger was arguing that anatomy, from the core, had a large part in determining gender. That [[soyboy|soyboys]] should (usually) have smooth skin, and that tomboys should (usually) have more rough skin. He argues this theory on the basis of the fact that typically masculine men can often exhibit certain feminine traits (such as wider hips etc.) and vice versa for feminine women. Any anatomical deviations from overall gender were therefore caused by variations in individual cells. | ||
==Theory of sexual attraction== | |||
Weininger outlined a complementarian theory of sexual attraction, whereby individuals who exhibit more or less of the masculine or feminine essence were attracted to each other. For example, in Weiningers view, a very masculine man would be most attracted to a very feminine women as vice versa. An androgynous man would require an androgynous female. Weininger also claimed that this explained homosexuality, and called for more leniency to be extended to those found guilty of homosexual acts, criticizing the laws that were implemented throughout much of Europe at the time that often enforced strict punishments for those found guilty of involvement in homosexual acts (including in the Austro-Hungarian empire that Weininger was a subject of). | |||
Thus each individual seeks their complement in terms of choice of romantic partners. Unions that violated this principle would be invariably unstable would likely result in dissolution of the marriage. He describes children born from "unions of love" as the most vigorous and strongest, thus he claims that "marriages of convenience" generally were productive of "inferior" offspring, or were typically barren. He claimed that this theory of attraction represented a natural law, thus it did not only apply to mankind, but also the lower animals and even plants. | |||
==Excerpts== | ==Excerpts== | ||